I'll Protect You Forever
by xLollipopLovex
Summary: Raine was homesick when she was forced to stay at Forks. She was pretty convinced that life was depressing until suddenly, someone stepped into her life unexpectedly. / Aiden never imagined himself imprinting on some random girl, but it happens. / The more closer they get, the more they find out about each other's darkest secrets. Story is set a few years after Breaking Dawn.
1. Chapter 1 Goodbye Florida

**Hi everyone! I have always wanted to try writing a Twilight fanfiction so here it is! This idea has been stuck in my head for a few days already. I promise that I won't abandon the story halfway, and I don't mind any negative comments too. I want to make this fanfiction a good one. :)**

**Hopefully, you guys can help support/motivate me by leaving reviews, etc so that I can continue writing this story with ideas. Alright then, enjoy the first chapter! ****^_^**

**Disclaimer ****(I'll say this once and for all):**** I do not own any of the Twilight characters but I do own the main characters here as well as those that I made up.**

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I'm Raine Anderson. A normal seventeen-year-old girl from Florida. As of today, I'm gonna live in a completely alien place. Well, maybe it's not all that _alien_, considering there would be people with human features, like me, living there too. But I would be living in an unfamiliar town, sleeping in an unfamiliar house, studying in an unfamiliar school and surrounded by unfamiliar people.

Did I ever mention how I was thrown into this madness?

Mom recently got a new job as an auditor. It sounded like a terrific news, but there was one problem-she needed to travel overseas frequently. She couldn't bear the idea of me staying at home alone, despite me reminding her a million times that I'm already seventeen and am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. She didn't want to send me to my Dad because well, she didn't trust that he would take good care of me. Especially when he has his "new family".

And so, she decided to send me to somewhere else to stay with my aunt. Like a town called Forks, whose name was the first time that I have ever heard in my entire life. I have no freaking idea where that place was. It could be somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean on an isolated island or in a desert where camels were roaming around. Or worse, it could even be at the North Pole.

As if the first bombshell wasn't miserable enough, she decided to drop a second one; I have to live there for two whole years until I finish my high school.

Great. Just great.

I quickly made up a list of reasons as to why there wasn't a need for me to go to Forks. When I opened my mouth to fire them off, Mom let out a tired sigh. Her pretty face that was radiant a few months ago, was now replaced with a haggard look. Dark eye bags encircled her eyes. This was the result of her working very hard for the past few months when money was tight. I cringed (of course when she wasn't looking) and decided to clamp my mouth shut instead. I didn't want to make things any more difficult for her.

And so, I did what all filial daughters out there in the world would do. "So, Forks, what's it like there?" I asked quietly.

Mom's eyes widened with happiness when she knew that I have given my approval. Clearly she was expecting me to kick up a fuss and pout in the house all day. "Oh sweetie, I've spent my childhood days there. The whole town feels like one big family since everyone grows up together. There's only one high school there with nearly four hundred students. Well, to be exact, there's probably three hundred and eighty-four..."

Three hundred and eighty-four students?! Who are you kidding with? At my school, we have more than one thousand students.

"...and I'm sure that they're really kind and friendly. You'll make good friends there really soon."

Hah, I bet I would be sticking out like a sore thumb real soon. Everyone there grew up and played together ever since they were babies. There was no one that they wouldn't know. Except me. The new kid from Florida. How on earth was I going to fit in with them?

And how on earth was I going to get through high school without my two best friends, Emily and Gloria, by my side? They were the ones who made my high school life amusing and fun. Going to Starbucks together after school, filling me in on gossips, driving home together after classes and sleepovers at each other's houses. I would be an insane woman if I said that I wasn't going to miss all the stuff we do together. I didn't want us to drift apart.

They were upset when I told them that I was leaving for two years. But after an hour of crying our eyes out (actually I was the one who cried my eyes out the hardest since they cried and consoled me), hugs and kisses, we pinky swore that we would keep in touch with each other and Skype on nights when we weren't busy. They were my sisters whom I have known for more than ten years. I was going to miss them so much.

"I'll drop by when I'm free," Mom promised at the airport. "Take good care of yourself, my sweetie. I'll call and email you." She crushed me in a tight hug as she sobbed. When she finally released me, Emily and Gloria threw their arms around me and hugged me tightly, saying a lot of "I'll miss you", "I love you" and "take care". Thankfully, I was taller than them. Otherwise I would have fallen backwards and smacked my butt on the floor in front of everyone else.

The tearful goodbye made tears escape from my eyes even when I swore not to cry in front of them. I swallowed down the hard lump in my throat. I hugged them back tightly and when I was done, I took a step back. Picking up my duffel bag and luggage, I waved goodbye to them and entered the departure lounge. The plane took off an hour later and headed further away from my old home and closer to my new home. Sitting alone on the plane, I've never felt so alone in my life.

I wasn't mentally prepared for this whole new place that I would be staying at. But nonetheless, Forks, here I come.


	2. Chapter 2 My New Home

**Hope you guys didn't wait too long for this chapter! Classes have started this week onwards, which means lesser time for writing. I'm having a hard time understanding the new stuff that are being taught. D: ****But of course, I'll try to upload at least a chapter for this each week! :) **

**Let's have a look at how Raine's doing, okay? ^_^**

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_Splat splat!_

The tiny raindrops hit my shoulders the moment I stepped out of the car. I shivered at the cold air and clutched my duffel bag tightly. I have arrived in Forks for barely an hour but I was already starting to feel homesick. Everywhere was wet - the trees, the grass, the disgusting muddy patches and puddles of water on the ground. I miss the warmth and sunshine from the comforting sun back in Florida. Because over here in Forks, it was nowhere to be seen, probably hiding behind some dark clouds.

Behind me, the trunk of the car popped open and Aunt Betty took out my luggage from it. She was much younger than Mom by five years. The last time I saw her was when I was around six years old. She and my uncle had joined my family for Christmas. At that time, Mom and Dad weren't divorced yet. So yeah, I was a happy kid with a happy family back then.

"Erm, let me carry it instead-" I started to say but she stopped me.

"It's fine, dear. I'm not an old woman yet." She winked at me. Just like Mom, she has brown eyes with wavy black hair. The resemblance only made me miss Mom even more. The aching feeling in my chest grew. I wanted to spin around and run back to the airport to catch a flight home. Back to my house, back to my friends and of course, back to my mom's hugs and kisses.

We were standing on the driveway and I glanced at my new home. I have got to admit, it was a cute yellow house with a backyard. I have always wanted a chance to live in this kind of house, and apparently, I was getting my wish. Back in Florida, Mom and I were living in an apartment with a small balcony. But nevertheless, it was the place that I grew up in ever since I was born. Too bad that this cutie house wasn't enough to perk me up.

"Don't be shy, Raine. Go on ahead and check out the house," Aunt Betty urged me with a gentle smile. She threw me a pair of house keys and I caught it, almost letting it slipped through my fingers. I walked up to the front porch and paused right in front of the door. Fumbling with the keys, I unlocked the door and pushed it open. I stepped into the house hesitantly, feeling awkward as I looked around. In the living room, there was a big TV, a comfortable-looking sofa and armchair, as well as a coffee table. It looked pretty homey and comfortable. But there was one thing that made me feel uncomfortable.

Family photographs. There were a lot of them placed everywhere - on the walls and the tables. Each photograph showed Aunt Betty, her husband and two little kids beaming at the camera happily.

It reminded me of how alone I was. I looked away quickly before it stirred up any other unwanted feelings inside me. It was definitely going to take me some time to get used to living here.

"Don't hold back and make yourself comfortable here. It's your home from now on too," Aunt Betty spoke from behind me. Startled, I turned around and went over to her to help carry my own luggage. Funny, I didn't remember putting much stuff in there except a bunch of clothes. But knowing Mom, she probably put in heaps of other stuff like my favourite doudou bear plush pillow to make me feel less homesick. Once again, I felt the rising lump in my throat but I pushed it back down.

"Come, I'll show you to your room first."

We headed up to the second floor. She led me into a bedroom that was just right beside the stairs. When we were inside, I was surprised to find it neat and tidy. The slight smell of air freshener still lingered in the air, telling me that Aunt Betty had cleaned up the room for me before I arrived. There was a single bed, a wardrobe and a desk for me to use.

"Thank you." I managed to give her a small smile. She smiled back and stepped closer to me to give me a quick hug. "If there's anything you need, just tell me, okay?" Aunt Betty said. I nodded my head. She was being so nice to me and I felt a pang of guilt for being so moody. But then again, I am probably gonna stay like this for a couple of days, weeks, or even months.

Aunt Betty left me alone in the room, saying that she would make me a cup of hot chocolate. When she was gone, I dumped my duffel bag on the floor, flopped down onto the bed and let out a big fat sigh. I was extremely exhausted, both physically and mentally. I wanted to shower, eat some junk food and take a short nap. I wanted to forget that I wasn't at a place somewhere far away from my home. My real home. But I couldn't. I wasn't at my own house right now to do the things that I wanted. It wouldn't be polite of me to treat this house as though I owned it. I have got to show manners, like what Mom said, and not cause any problems for my aunt and her family.

I headed downstairs a few minutes later. A delicious smell of food guided me into the kitchen. I found Aunt Betty standing before the stove, cooking what seemed to be lasagne. When she saw me, she beamed at me and pointed to a steamy red mug on the dining table. "Drink up while I cook lunch. You must be starving after the long flight," she said. I muttered a "thank you" and sipped the drink, grateful for the warm liquid that loosened up my tense muscles. Oh my, was I really that uncomfortable?

We chatted for a while, mostly talking about Mom. I took the opportunity to ask her about why Mom left Forks, since she never told me. Aunt Betty replied that as Mom grew older, she felt confined living here and wanted to go live elsewhere. She settled in Florida eventually, part of the reason was because she met Dad too. So much for her telling me how much she loved Forks. But she probably said that to make me feel better about coming here.

Loud footsteps outside the house interrupted our chatting and I thought I heard kids laughing. Well, I was right. A few seconds later, two small figures scurried into the kitchen and cried out "Mummy!" when they saw Aunt Betty. She went over to them and hugged them, giving them a quick peck on their cheeks. Uncle John appeared at the kitchen door and smiled warmly at me when he spotted me. I greeted him politely and he hugged me swiftly.

I sat down at the dining table together with Uncle John and my loud little cousins - Daniel and Adeline - as Aunt Betty placed plates of lasagne in front of us. My mood lifted a little because of this lively chattering in the kitchen which I joined in. But I couldn't deny that part of me was upset that I wasn't really part of this ordinary family. I was from another family, one that had fallen apart and was never going back again.

I really wished that one day, this loneliness that I was feeling would go away.


	3. Chapter 3 Unexplainable Feelings

**I am gonna speed things up a little here. I don't want to bore you guys. ;) I'll keep my fingers cross for a review.**

**And thank you, VampyWildCat! I can promise you that you won't be disappointed with this chapter. :D**

**Enjoy~**

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I am going to faint.

Toys were strewn everywhere in the living room, all thanks to Daniel and Adeline. I nearly tripped on a toy car when I tried to clear away some toys. For the first time in my entire life, I have acted the role of a babysitter. Unbelievably, my two little cousins have developed a liking to me and stuck close to me. Adeline was five years old while Daniel was a year older than her. I didn't understand why they like me so much.

Was it because they have always wanted an older sister? Maybe, or maybe not. But whatever the reason was, a certain someone was getting super busy because of them.

Trust me, being a babysitter is no easy job.

It all started this morning while I was still asleep in bed. I couldn't sleep last night and kept tossing in bed. I wasn't used to the sound of the rain rattling against my window. I ended up falling asleep at around three in the morning. I got a startling fright when someone jumped onto my bed and attacked me at eight o'clock. I found myself staring at Adeline and decided to go back to sleep, throwing my blanket over my head. But dear little Adeline tried to pry my blanket off me again. She kept pestering and begging me to play with her. A few minutes later, I cracked my eyes open grumpily at her. She gave me a threatening I-am-going-to-cry-if-you-don't-play-with-me look. Reluctantly, I got out of bed groggily.

When Daniel saw Adeline following me around, he decided to follow me too. That was when they both decided to take out all their toys and show it to me proudly. When Aunt Betty and Uncle John saw this, they smiled and laughed. "Oh dear, I guess you have to bear with them, Raine. They like you a lot," my aunt said happily. The look on her face absolutely told me that she was very thrilled that we could get along well.

A few hours later, I was exploring around Forks with my cousins and Aunt Betty. Uncle John went off somewhere, saying that he has to meet up with his buddy.

We were strolling down the streets, with little Adeline and Daniel flanked on my both sides. Their tiny hands tugging on mine as we walked. I turned my head around and gave my aunt an awkward can-you-please-help-me look. My gosh, she chuckled at me instead and shook her head. "Sorry," she mouthed. She was enjoying this as much as her kids did.

We walked past a toy shop and I was literally dragged in there. Adeline and Daniel started squealing loudly at every single toy. I bit my lower lip, hoping that we three musketeers didn't attract a lot of attention.

"Mummy, I want this!" Adeline and Daniel exclaimed loudly, letting go of my hands suddenly and run towards their mother. I sighed, thankful for being freed. While my aunt was busy talking to them, my eyes kept looking everywhere. I was searching for a way to escape. Thankfully, my eyes flitted to something that was outside the toy shop.

"Hmm, Aunt Betty? I'm going out to get a drink. I'll be right back soon." As soon as she nod her head once, I backed out of the shop quickly before Adeline or Daniel could follow me. When I was outside, the chilly air greeted me and I welcomed it this time. It wasn't raining but the sky was covered with dark clouds, threatening to rain anytime soon.

I started towards a small cafe that was across the road. When I got closer, I could see a wooden sign that said "Larson's Hideout". It sounds just like the place for me to go to when I wanted to be alone.

I entered the cafe, surprised to see quite a lot of people inside. But thinking twice, the pleasant ambiance and cute scraplights hanging from the ceiling in the cafe would no doubt attract lots of people to hang out here often. It was definitely going to be my number one hangout place now too.

I joined the queue. I glanced at the day's menu that was written on a chalkboard with adorable cartoons depicting each food. I couldn't help but smiled at them. It was something that you wouldn't see at other cafes.

"What would you like to have?" A deep voice interrupted my thoughts. I jerked my head back to the counter, realizing that it was my turn.

"Hmm...one strawberry-" I started to replied but suddenly, my voice got stuck in my throat when our eyes met.

Just like me, his eyes widened.

This guy standing in front of me was, well, very muscular and tall. In fact, he was taller than any average guy. I was always considered as one of the tallest girls in my class. But right now, as I stood before him, I felt like a kid. He towered over me literally and was a head taller than me. To be frank, I have always thought that big guys were scary and intimidating.

However, when I looked at him, I didn't feel frightened or intimidated. I actually feel kind of...weird. Like there was this tingling feeling on my skin and when he stared back at me, my legs went jelly. My eyes roamed all over his face, taking in his dark russet skin, thick eyebrows, long eyelashes, green eyes and ebony silky hair. Yes, I have to admit that he was hot. Very hot.

Besides, I feel like he was someone that I was familiar with. Not someone whom I am meeting for the first time. Like I have known him forever. And I swear there were sparks flying between us right now-

-wait. Hang on, what on earth am I thinking about? Whoa, whoa. I need to get back my senses! I am starting to think that those romance movies that I have been watching recently were making me imagining stuff. Like seriously, I never believed in true love at first sight.

I wanted to break the gaze and it was then when I finally noticed the expression on his face. It was something that I couldn't figure out. His face went from surprise to confusion, and to something else. It was frustrating to not know why he did that.

And then I realized I was still blatantly staring at him. And he was doing the same thing too. I didn't know why but neither one of us was willing to break the gaze first. I didn't know how much time has passed ever since we just stood there staring at each other, unable to take our eyes off each other.

Deep down in my mind, I am already starting to wonder if I was really right about how true love at first sight wasn't real.


	4. Chapter 4 Lost Girl

**I'm back! Sorry for the sudden disappearance and me not giving any advance notice about it! Projects and school kept on getting in my way. T.T Exams has ended last week and it's finally break now! I promise to update lots during these few weeks. ;)**

**Have a great time reading this chapter! :) **Thanks to those who read, left reviews and shared their opinions! Continue to do it for me, okay? :3****

****Enjoy~****

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U-N-B-E-L-I-E-V-A-B-L-E.

I sipped my drink nosily and snorted irritably to myself, my shoes crunching on the gravel. My first impression of him has been ruined completely. So, he was _that _kind of guy.

A decent, funny and caring guy? Nope. Maybe a hot and arrogant jerk? Yep, I think he would fit right into that description. Here, let me start from right after the touchy-sparks moment between us and what happened afterwards.

_We stood there for ages. Unable to tear my eyes away from his, I was falling deeper and deeper into those mesmerizing deep emerald eyes... I held my breath and stood still for I was certain that he was going to say something to me-_

_"Aiden!" A pair of slender arms slipped around his waist and a pretty face appeared from behind him. She stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips to his cheeks, which was wayyy much longer than supposed to, as she greeted him. When she leaned back, her eyes darted to mine with obvious annoyance and a look on her face that screamed "Back off, he's mine". _

_"Whoa, whoa. Tessa, stop it. I'm working right now." He seemed slightly startled by her sudden appearance. Unwrapping her arms around him carefully, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek when she started to pout. He looked absolutely thrilled to be with a beautiful and hot girl while the poor and dying-to-get-her-drink customer - which was me - was long-forgotten. The whole impression of him was definitely smashed to bits. __I kept my face still while this whole entire lovey-dovey scene was happening right in front of me._

_But believe me, you wouldn't want to see what was BEHIND my face. I was snorting and rolling my eyes inwardly. Didn't they know how rude it was to make out in front of other people, especially singles like me? (I know, it's pathetic.)_

_I coughed loudly, breaking their precious moment. "A strawberry milkshake please," I repeated again, keeping my voice stable. Aiden's head snapped back to me and finally realized that I existed._

_"I'm so sorry," he apologized. "I'll get your drink ready right away." But instead, he gave me a long expressionless stare again. What on earth was going through in that mind of his? He kept staring at me as though I have just grown an extra hand. Behind him, Tessa looked as though she was ready to kill me. She hooked her arm around his before turning and dragging him to the kitchen, throwing me a pissed off look over her shoulder and flipping her fiery red hair. Oh, so now I have gained a hater? That's fast, considering it was my second day here at Forks._

_Good job, Raine._

_When the gorgeous guy returned with my drink in his hand alone, he apologized again and smiled at me. I wanted to rip his charming smile off his face. Exactly how many girls has he fooled with that perfect smile?_

_I muttered a quick "thanks" back and paid for the drink. Taking a small sip, I was about to turn and walk off when he stopped me. "Are you a tourist or new to the town?" he asked curiously. _

_"I'm new here," I replied smoothly. _

_His lips curled into a smile upon hearing that. "That's great. I'll get to see you around then." _Gosh, was he actually trying to flirt with me? Couldn't he see that his girlfriend was already putting me at the top of her enemy list?__

__After mumbling a quick "bye", I left quickly. I didn't even bother to turn back to look at him. However, without even turning back, I could feel his eyes on me. I didn't know why, but it was just a feeling.__

Heck, I feel so dumb right now thinking about him. I couldn't believe that I was attracted to him the tiny bit at first. Besides, those looks that he gave me, I just couldn't seem to get it out of my head. Maybe I'm the one who was over-thinking stuff here.

Sigh... If only Emily and Gloria were here with me to help me because I'm just so clueless when it comes to guys. I'll be frank here, I have no ex and am not attractive apparently. I hope that I wouldn't bump into Aiden or his girlfriend anymore.

But in this puny town? I don't think I will be getting my wish, sadly. Then I have to really really pray that I would get through the rest of my high school life without too much drama.

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Right now, I'm standing at the hallway in my new school, Forks High School, in a terrible mood.

Firstly, I didn't sleep well last night because I was just too nervous for school and ended up getting horrible eye bags instead. Plus, I slipped this morning on the wet, slippery ground when I was making my way to my aunt's car, who offered to drive me to school. I got drenched a little since it was drizzling.

But never mind all that, the worst thing that happened right now was that I'm helplessly lost in this mad rush where all the students were heading to their classes. The lady in the office gave me my timetable but she didn't provide any maps. Knowing me, I have got no sense of direction at all.

Cursing to myself, I'm definitely going to be late for class on the first day of school. I didn't want to be known as the Lost Girl in this school since that happened to me in my previous school and I get lost easily. The memories just gave me the creeps.

I sighed. I felt like crushing the papers that I'm clutching in my hands just to vent my frustrations. I turned and headed in a direction that hopefully, was the right one. The people that I passed by turned and stared at me, probably surprised to actually see a transfer student. I wanted to ask them for directions but their stares just made me avoid them. Perhaps luck would help me to find my way.

I turned at a corner, realising that somehow I had ended up at a cafeteria. There weren't much people here. Many of them were probably in their class now. Gosh, at this rate, I'm really going to be late. I turned and started rushing off in another direction. Making my way back to the hallway, I headed down to the end...

...and then I head-butted into someone's chest when I turned left too quickly.

"Ow!" Crying out, I reeled back and nearly fall backwards but strong hands gripped me tightly to hold me up. Rubbing my forehead in pain, I looked up at the big figure standing in front of me.

OH. MY. GOD.


	5. Chapter 5 Confusion

**Here's another chapter, like what I promise you guys! It's to make up for the past one month plus of not updating any chapters. *gives a sheepish smile***

**Okay, so let's sum up the first 4 chapters; Raine moved to Forks and was stuck in a crappy mood. Her meeting with Aiden and Tessa. Her new school. ****Besides, you guys probably figured out who is the mysterious person that Raine head-butted into. XP Ahhh I'll try to make things interesting here.**

**Please continue to support me and remember to click on the awesome "Review" button below(guest reviews are welcome too). It means a lot to me. Thank you very much! :) **

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"Oh, it's you."

His voice was unmistakable. It was him, that guy whose name was called Aiden, and whom kissed his girlfriend in front of me three days ago. I froze in complete shock.

I kind of guess that he would study here too since he looked like he was around my age and there was only one high school in this town. But who knew that I would bump into him so soon?

"Are you okay? Your forehead looks awfully red. Sorry about that," he said worriedly. But at the same time, he looked as though he was holding back his laughter. I felt my cheeks flushed beet red in embarrassment. Yikes, I had just made a fool out of myself in front of a hottie. I wanted to dig a hole and bury myself in it to hide my embarrassment.

"Nope, it's not your fault. Sorry for knocking into you. I didn't see where I was going," I replied meekly, avoiding his eyes and rubbing my forehead. I was pretty sure that he was going to start laughing at me. And then I realized something.

His hands that were holding on to my arms, were burning hot on my skin. That's definitely not a normal temperature for a person.

"Oh my gosh! Are you having a high fever?" I felt his forehead with the back of my right hand immediately. Yup, it's burning hot too. "Let's go to the infirmary. NOW. What on earth are you thinking?! You shouldn't be up and running about," I exclaimed loudly. I dragged his arm along with me in the direction of the office. But wait a minute, I'm not moving any steps away from where I'm standing currently.

I flipped my head around to stare at him and arched an eyebrow. He refused to budge from where he was standing. An amused expression crossed his face when he saw my questioning look. We stared at each other for a few seconds. During that time, I finally realized what I had done.

S.H.I.T. DID I JUST TOUCH AND TALK TO HIM AS THOUGH WE ARE GOOD FRIENDS?! WHAT AM I DOING?!

Embarrassed, I turned tomato red in the face again. Seriously, I could just jump off the building and nobody could save me. Literally.

"Nope, I think it's just you. You must be feeling cold. Maybe you aren't used to the chilly weather here yet." He took his arms away from my hands gently and folded them instead, leaning sideways against the wall.

Huh? I don't feel sick or cold or anything. Plus the way he replied me and how he was avoiding my eyes, I have a feeling that he was hiding something from me, but I decided not to pursue further. I caught his eyes flickered to a shade darker for a second, which left me really confused.

"Anyway, why are you here? Are you lost?" He looked down at the papers I'm holding and pluck them out of my hands. "Hey-" Surprised, I wanted to snatch them back but stopped. Maybe he could help me to find my way to my first class. Finally, I see a spark of hope for me.

"You have the same class as me for first period. Oh, and Physics, Algebra and Gym too."

I gaped at him blatantly. Four classes together? Was this a joke? Whatever happened to the less-drama-more-peaceful-high-school-life mission? I wasn't sure if I should laugh or cry because if he was here, then surely his girlfriend was here too. I have this horrible sense of impending doom that was going to befall on my high school life. Oh boy...

And speaking about his girlfriend...

I glanced around quickly, looking for anyone with red hair. But it dawned on me that there was not a single person in sight. Okay, I'm safe. FOR NOW. Who knows what would happen if his girlfriend catches me talking to him again? I have seen bratty and popular girls bullying poor and vulnerable girls who talked to their boyfriends, even if it was for only five seconds. But hey, that doesn't mean that I'm a vulnerable girl.

And shit! Classes have already started for who-knows-how-long-ago! I started to panic.

"Are you coming? Or are you still gushing over how hot I am?" I snapped my head back to Aiden. He smirked at me.

"Oh please, I never meant it in _that _way." I snorted and followed him. It was definitely not feminine at all but urgh, it was a natural reaction from me anyway. I couldn't help it at all. And Aiden just gave me an amused look again.

At long last, we finally arrived at the classroom for our first period, all thanks to him. We entered the class like celebrities with everybody else staring. We were fifteen minutes late and the teacher was absolutely displeased. However, Aiden explained it to her and her face softened. So in the end, we weren't reprimanded or anything. I drew a breath of relief. What a nice teacher she was.

"Raine, give a short introduction of yourself to your new classmates," she urged me on with a smile. Oh noooooo...

Flustered, I turned to face the entire class. "Hi, I'm Raine Anderson. From Florida." I spoke aloud, praying that my voice didn't shake. Some of them smiled at me, a few brave ones actually muttered "hi", and some gave me weird looks. This was exactly why I hate self-introductions. Mrs. Brown, the teacher, pointed to my seat, which was right beside Aiden since we were the last ones to enter the class. I walked to my seat (Believe me, I was screaming on the inside) and sat down.

I couldn't understand myself. Why am I being so self-conscious around him? Why why why? It's not like I actually like him, right?

...RIGHT?


	6. Chapter 6 Mysterious Past

**Watched The Fault in Our Stars a few days ago and I cried a lot. Did you guys watch it too? It was so funny, sweet, cute, bitter and sad. :') Definitely must prepare a box of tissue the next time I watch a sad romance movie. Hehe.**

**And aaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhh... I'm having a mind block right now. Really hate this. D: Let's hope I survive through this chapter. I'll try my best to squeeze ideas out of my brain. (I know, the chapters before this was quite boring D:)**

**Enjoy and look forward to the next chapter~**

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First period, which was homeroom, passed really quickly. But it wasn't because I slept through it. Mrs. Brown was making some announcements but I wasn't really listening to her. I was too busy talking to Aiden to even noticed how fast the time passes.

"You know what, I realized that I haven't properly introduce myself," Aiden said after I sat down. I dumped my bag on the table and turned to look at him.

"I'm Aiden Larson. So, do you like Forks?" His family owned Larson's Hideout? Oh, that explains why his girlfriend could saunter into the shop like it actually belonged to her.

"Not bad," I replied. He shook his head slowly while staring at me.

"Liar." He smiled in that sexy smile that immediately spread goose bumps all over my skin. I bet all the girls felt this way whenever he did that. I flicked a sideways glance at him, one brow raised. "I'm not lying."

"Yes, you are. It's written all over your face."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes." His eyes stared into mine intensely. I could tell that he wasn't going to let this go.

I sighed in defeat. "I miss Florida a lot," I admitted. I miss my home, my family, my girlfriends, the clear blue sky and a lot of other stuff.

"I bet you do. But I actually think there's more." It wasn't a question. He said it as though he knew exactly what I was going through. My jaw hardened instantly.

"Nope, there's nothing else." I replied him, my tone a little harsh. No way was I going to tell him anything and how would he even understand? He was just a guy that I met a couple of days ago. Not a childhood friend or anything else. Why should I tell him anything more?

Probably sensing my sudden discomfort, he stayed silent. We stared forward and I pretended to be listening to whatever Mrs. Brown was saying. It wasn't helping though. There was this really awkward silence between us.

At some point of time, he turned to me suddenly and launched into another conversation with me. It was completely on a different subject than before...but I welcomed it gladly.

"Come to Larson's Hideout and try the new breakfast set. I came up with the idea..." He went on talking. I hesitated. Should I? Or should I not? Yikes yikes yikes. Well, there's no harm going to his cafe, right? I ended up agreeing to him and telling him how much I love his family's cafe. At least there was something in this town that I looked forward to going to.

The bell rang loudly, interrupting our conversation. I grabbed my bag and picked up my timetable. I have no idea where to go next-

"Let's go, I'll bring you to your next class." Aiden stood up and walked ahead, not hearing any of my refusals. I followed behind him closely, albeit reluctantly. The people around us were already shooting us curious looks. But Aiden didn't seem to notice anything. He brought me to Biology class and we parted. I was extremely thankful to him.

In Biology, my partner was a very nice girl called Brynn Mitchell. We clicked straight away. She was super cool and I felt really comfortable around her. Her silky long dark brown hair with caramel highlights was pulled back into a ponytail. Her nails were painted in different stripes of colors and her toned thighs revealed how athletic she was. Besides, she was as tall as me! Not many girls were five feet and seven inches tall, unlike us.

We even have the same class for English and we sat together again. A couple of guys and girls turned around to ask me questions about Florida and myself. Perhaps sitting with Brynn made people feel less awkward around me, the new girl. I answered them as honest as I could.

When she invited me to join her and her friends for lunch, I agreed readily.

"Raine, this is Lisa and Melinda." She introduced her friends. Melinda smiled warmly at me. Lisa dropped a bottle of water that she was holding and gasped at the sight of me.

"Oh my god, is this her?" She skittered closer to me to take a good look at me. Her eyes scanned me from head to toe and repeated the same thing again.

"What magazine are you featured in?" She asked finally. I blinked at her in surprise, and then I laughed while shaking my head. But I was pretty sure she was just joking with me.

At least, I thought, school didn't seem to be as bad as I thought.

* * *

_"Someone, please..." I pounded on the door as hard as I could, crying for someone to come. _

_"You know, no one can hear you from here."_

_Knife glinting in the dark, someone stepped forward..._

_...and I screamed loudly._

I jolted awake in bed, my forehead slicking with sweat and my fingers digging into my covers. I shuddered involuntarily. It was raining heavily outside and the raindrops hit my window nosily.

How long...how long has it been since I last dreamed of this? Why did it come back?

My hands reached out to turn on the bed lamp. The soft orange light illuminated my room and comforted me. My digital clock told me that it was only four in the morning. I groaned and grabbed my mp3 player from the table. Plugging in my earpiece and blasting the music into my ears loudly, I huddled under the covers and shut my eyes. All of this was to keep my fear and the irritating sound of raindrops away.

But I couldn't sleep even after two hours have passed. Not after that frightening dream.

And so, I got up and decided to go to school early. I drove my new car there. Well, it wasn't that new since Uncle John bought it from me from his friend. But anyway, it was my first car and it was cute because I love the color a lot, which was baby blue.

It was really quiet and there were only a few people around at school. I walked across the parking lot and headed towards the cafeteria since I didn't know where else to go. I shivered slightly because of the chilly air in the early morning.

"Hey."

I stopped walking when I heard the voice. Shocked, I turned around slowly.

Standing there, looking absolutely pretty as always, was someone whom was the last person that I ever wanted to see. Wearing her heels and a super tight outfit, she folded her arms and looked at me.

"Can I have a word with you, Raine Anderson?" Tessa smiled dangerously at me.


	7. Chapter 7 Aiden's Feelings for Raine

**Hey**** guys! This chapter will be special and different from the others. ;) Anyway, I have a couple of questions for you but let's leave it after you guys have read this chapter. ^_^ **

**Hope you guys will love this!**

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Aiden's POV

I, Aiden Larson, have never imagined myself imprinting on someone, much less on someone that I have not met before. So when it happened, believe me, I was extremely dumbfounded.

When we locked eyes, I found myself having a vision. Vision of our future together.

_Waves after waves crashing against the shore, a trail of footprints left behind on the soft brown sand as we walked, I looked down to the girl whom I was holding hands with. The wind played with her long, wavy and chestnut brown hair, sending me crazy with her scent._

_She looked up and smiled at me, her dark blue eyes sparkling with adoration and excitement. I lifted up a hand to run my thumb across her cheek. She chuckled and placed her other hand over mine. Her full, rosy lips moved to form a word._

_"Aiden." _

When I got sucked back to reality, my mind was in a whirl. Doubts began to arise quickly. Was it really a vision, or was it just me hallucinating? Maybe I should ask somebody who has imprinted on someone.

I let my eyes roamed all over her face, just making sure I wasn't actually wrong and that she was the girl that I saw in my vision. I think that I actually stared at her for too long and she was probably starting to think that I'm weirdo, because she frowned deeply at me. I wanted to say something but Tessa interrupted us. It made me annoyed though, but I didn't show it on my face.

When she ordered her drink, looking quite irritated, I felt bad. Was it guilt? I tried to speak to her again and I realized that I actually wanted to hear her voice so much. So much that I felt like say anything just to make her speak. And when she left, I kept staring at her back until she was out of sight.

_"Yep, that's guilt," Jacob said over the phone. I called him immediately after I reached home. "Imprinting on her is the same as when you have finally found your soulmate. You feel as though you have betrayed your soulmate when you kissed your girlfriend in front of her." Jacob was the best person to ask since he has imprinted on someone and he was a close cousin of mine. _

_"And you know what? Just break up with Tessa. You'll suffer if you don't stick close to your soulmate." I could literally tell that he was rolling his eyes at the other end of the line. Oh well, he didn't like Tessa anyway and couldn't understand why I agreed to date her. He even called me "the world dumbest guy" once._

_"Okay, enough about me," I said, trying not to laugh. "When are you coming back?"_

But Jacob was right, I didn't know if I had made the right choice to date Tessa. She was the one who confessed in the first place, and I agreed to be her boyfriend because she was hot. She was a girl that all guys would want to date and she was always super nice to me. Moreover, she knew about the Quileutes legend and the werewolves because her family was part of it. So, why wouldn't I like to date her? I wouldn't have to explain anything about my burning hot skin or when the pack wanted to have a sudden meeting.

But I knew about her rudeness towards others behind my back. And nowadays, she was starting to get on my nerves. Whenever I stared into space or I didn't listen to whatever she was saying because I was thinking of something (technically, it was 'someone'), she would just get annoyed.

"What's wrong with you, Aiden? Are you thinking about HER?! That ugly girl."

Well, she caught me but I couldn't actually say 'yes' into her face. So when I tried to say 'no', she got even madder. Seriously, I didn't understand her. And I disliked the way she was insulting Raine.

Raine... This brought me back to the day when I first met her in school. I was extremely overjoyed to see her. I admitted, the past three days were just so suffocating of not seeing her. Something warm filled inside of me when my eyes landed on her. I saw her walking into the cafeteria with her face scrunched up, looking like a lost child. She probably didn't know how to get to her class. I wanted to approach her to help her. But wait, no. Not in this manner.

Hence, I pretended to bump into her at the end of the hallway. She head-butted into my chest (oops, I didn't expect that) and almost fell backwards. Luckily, I caught her in time, thanks to my great reflexes. After regaining her balance, she rubbed her forehead. Her expression was super cute then.

But I made a mistake of holding on to her arms for too long. Raine realized quickly that my skin was very hot and she questioned me. She was way more observant than she looked. Her piercing blue eyes seemed as though she would dig up all my secrets. Staying calm, I came up with a lousy excuse and she seemed to buy it, hopefully.

_"So, do you like Forks?" I asked randomly._

_"Not bad," she replied. But the look on her face said otherwise. She looked quite sad._

_"Liar." She looked up at me in surprise. She blinked once and started to disagree with what I said. But she knew I wasn't going to give up until she admitted it._

_"I miss Florida a lot." She let out a tired sigh while playing with a zipper on her bag. _

_"I bet you do. But I actually think there's more." Her eyes widened and her fingers stopped playing with the zipper. She kept her face expressionless. _

_"Nope, there's nothing else." And that was when I knew that something was troubling her. But I shouldn't probe further._

Whenever she has the same classes as me and when she was eating with her new friends during lunch, my eyes would unknowingly wander to her. The way she laughed, twirled strands of her hair, toyed with the straw in her drink, doodled on her book and even the smallest of things, I memorized them all. I couldn't help it. I couldn't stop myself.

It seemed gravity wasn't just pulling me downwards, it was pulling me to her too. A fire has ignited in me ever since I first saw her, and I have never felt anymore alive than right now. It seemed like now my world only revolved around Raine and everything else was casted aside.

I wanted to know everything about her - what she liked or disliked, her childhood... Everything. I want to stay by her side.

For that, I need to be even closer to her.

* * *

**Ta-daaaa~ Aiden's point of view! Hope this chapter answered any of your questions. If it doesn't, well, ask me then. :) But I'm not completely sure whether I wrote correctly about the whole imprint stuff.**

**Okayy, moving on to my questions. I have been wondering about this for a while. ****This Twilight fanfic, is it ****boring/excite you? G****oing too slowly? T****alking a lot of unnecessary stuff? Is it g****oing on the right track?**

**Help me guys! T.T Please... I beg you. This means a lot and a lot to me. Thank you very much.**


	8. Chapter 8 The Beginning of the Threats

**Thank you so much for the reviews, especially Archiepoke and VampyWildCat! You guys are the best! :D VampyWildCat, thanks for helping me out with the ideas and stuff. I appreciate it so much. :)**

**Just to let you know, I wouldn't be updating for a while after this chapter. Holiday just ended (bye holiday T.T) and school is forever keeping me super busy. Projects, projects and projects. :( But I'll be back soon! **

* * *

"Me? Why?" I asked warily. I shifted my bag on my shoulders uneasily. Tessa's presence always gave me bad vibes. I didn't even want to speak to her.

"Relax, I'm not going to do anything to you. I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself, not that nobody knows me here. But never mind, I'm Tessa. Nice to meet you. Welcome to Forks." She flashed me a fake smile. Bratty girl, I thought to myself. There was no friendliness in that tone of hers.

"Hmmm thank you." I decided to play nice. "Do you have something else to say?" I asked coolly. Her eyebrows and smile twitched when she saw that I was not intimidated by her. I have seen her in school yesterday and she was super popular among the guys. Even the girls treated her nicely. I felt that they were way too nice, seeming as though they were afraid of Tessa.

I have to ask Brynn later, I thought. I made a mental note in my head.

"Yes, I do. I know that this is our second time meeting each other. And our first meeting wasn't very nice. I know that I've left a bad impression of me on you." She kept her smile and pretended to be remorseful. "I would like to say that I'm sorry and of course, I would love for us to be friends."

Sorry? Friends? Did she really think that I'm falling for that?

Putting my acting mask on, I nodded my head innocently. "Sure-" I started to reply and Tessa smiled wider at that.

"-but only if whatever you said comes with sincerity and genuine words. Which, apparently, you don't. And I'm pretty sure that there's something more that you want to say to me beside that," I answered smoothly. Her smile faded after hearing my words.

Her eyes burned with fury. "Fine. I'll just get straight to the point then - stay away from my boyfriend. Do it while I'm telling you nicely. You wouldn't like to see me turn nasty, do you?" She gave me a cold, sly smile.

Finding her words absurd, I snorted. "Oh please. It's not like your boyfriend is interested in me when he has you. Why do you even worry?" I looked at her while I said that. But she froze and remained silent. I blinked my eyes in surprise, mainly because it wasn't a reaction I was expecting.

But in the next second, her face changed instantly. Eyes flashing with chagrin, she stepped closer to me swiftly and suddenly. She leaned in towards me, her face merely inches from mine.

"Don't piss me off, sweetie. You don't want to see what I'm capable of," she spat in my face, her voice laced with venom. I froze in place, because I knew that she meant every word that she said.

A group of girls passed by us. Tessa stepped back and plastered a smile on her face.

"I'll see you around then, Raine." She turned and walked away, clicking on her heels. I stared after her, my mind still in shock. What exactly had just happened!?

I sighed loudly. What was her problem? Didn't she realize that she was so overly concern with her boyfriend's matters? It wasn't like I was kissing Aiden in front of her. We were talking when we first met or sat together in homeroom and because of certain unforeseen incidents (like the headbutting incident).

Besides, kissing Aiden...

I quickly shook my head to clear that thought. No way. I refused to be one of those girls who would snatch away other girls' boyfriends, because that would be really mean and awful of me.

I started walking towards the drinks section to grab a bottle of soda, noticing that more people have arrived at school too. I didn't know that the conversation with Tessa took quite a while. As I walked to the hallway, I gulped down the soda, thankful for the flow of the cool liquid down my tense throat.

As much as I hate saying this, Tessa's threats made me a little scared. Her eyes really told me that she wasn't lying. I couldn't tell what she was going to do to me next...

"Raine!"

Brynn called my name as soon as she spotted me from the other end. I shut my locker and waved at her. She hurried towards me.

"Hey!" She exclaimed. Her hair wasn't tied into a ponytail today and it fell past her shoulders. She smiled at me happily.

"Hi, Brynn," I said, smiling back while juggling with the heavy books in my arms. When Brynn saw it, she took some books from me helpfully. I felt a little sheepish.

"Thanks. Where's Lisa and Melinda?"

"Oh! They're at the school yard." She peered into my face. "Are you alright? You looked a little tired."

My left hand flew up to touch my face. "Really? It must be because I didn't sleep well for the past few nights."

Brynn frowned at me. "Was it because of Tessa? What did she talk to you about?" she demanded. I gaped at her in response.

"H-how did you know?" I asked curiously.

She shrugged her shoulders. "A friend of mine saw you guys and told me about it. News travel super fast here, girl." Having said that. she stared at me, clearly waiting for a reply to her question. I waved it off with a smile.

"It's nothing. She just wanted to say hi."

Brynn raised one brow. "Really? You know, Tessa isn't a nice person to do that. I've known her like forever." When I stayed silent, she sighed softly.

"It's alright, I won't force you to say. But if you need a listening ear, you know that you can always come to me." She spoke with such genuineness and care that I felt really touched. I gave her a quick hug and thanked her gratefully.

We found Lisa braiding Melinda's hair into a fishtail braid while sitting on a bench under a tres in the school yard. They looked up when they heard us coming.

"Hello twins," they greeted us in unison. Brynn and I looked at each other, and burst out laughing.

"Wow. Nice braid, Lisa. And it looks good on you, Melinda," I complimented as I looked at whatever they were doing. We sat down and started chatting animatedly about girls stuff and nonsense, as usual. Laughing out loud at Lisa's jokes, I felt more at ease and hyper.

All of a sudden, the hairs on my neck and arms stood up. I swiveled my head, looking around for a certain something. I felt as though that someone was watching me from somewhere, but I could see no one suspicious. Weird.

I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. It couldn't be that I was imagining stuff, right?


	9. Chapter 9 Unknown Stalker

**Managed to squeeze some time out to write this chapter! I'm dying from all my modules - economics, marketing, etc. I need to escape from them for a while. o_o**

**Do enjoy this longer-than-usual chapter (it's like two chapters combined into one XD) and don't forget to review! Thank you!**

****P.S. VampyWildCat, yes, Tessa is a normal human. :) love ya a lot for all the reviews!****

* * *

I'm officially a prisoner.

In Physics, we were all assigned to seats randomly by the teacher, which sucks a lot. I got stuck sitting with an extremely quiet guy who barely exchanged a word with me ever since the first Physica lesson. It was already the fifth day of school and we still remained as awkwardly silent as ever.

But he wasn't the only guy who made me uncomfortable. The guy behind me was straddling me to my seat using his long legs.

Guess who? Aiden.

He was just so super freaking tall. He sat behind me and stretched his long legs on either side of me on purpose, imprisoning me. I jumped in my seat when I bumped into his leg once while shifting my sitting position. I sat frozen in my chair for the rest of the lesson, not daring to move a single inch for fear of touching him.

Ever since Tessa confronted me on Tuesday, I have been avoiding Aiden quite a lot of times. And the worst part was, he knew about it. This was his plan of torturing me and getting me to talk to him. I felt bad because I knew that it wasn't any of his fault that I was avoiding him and...

...a part of me really wanna talk to him.

But I didn't want to cause a certain someone's relationship to break up because of me so I just kept my mouth shut and continued to stare at the whiteboard in class. The Physics teacher kept droning on and on, and my mind started to drift to somewhere else. I couldn't wait to get back home and Skype with my dear Florida girlfriends later tonight. I haven't had a chance to have a proper chitchat with them ever since I came to Forks. I totally miss them to bits.

_Thud._

I jumped once again. Crap, I forgot about him for one second and my left feet smacked into his left leg when I wanted to change into a more comfortable position unknowingly. My face flushed red. Maybe my ears turned red too, because I swear that I heard him laughed under his breath.

I stared at the clock, willing it to go faster. The first week of school was almost over and I was looking forward to a quiet and peaceful weekend. I might have to lock up myself in my bedroom so that my two naughty cousins wouldn't be able to disturb me.

The bell rang loudly a while later, signalling the end of class. After Aiden's legs slid out from under my chair, I stood up quickly and grabbed my books. But to my absolute horror, I accidentally dropped a book. I bent down awkwardly while juggling my other books in my arms, trying to pick it up. But before I could do that, someone else picked it up instead.

"Thanks," I said quietly, avoiding the eyes of the guy who helped me.

Aiden handed the book to me wordlessly without any expression. I took the book and our fingers brushed against each other's in the process. The warmth from his fingers made me shiver and my fingers shook. One corner of his mouth quirked upwards when he saw my reaction.

Growing nervous, I hurriedly turned and left, never looking back once because I knew what effect he was having on me. I didn't want to know what crazy stuff I would do if I stayed there any longer. I was dying on the inside to talk to him. I kept sneaking glances at him whenever he was standing nearby. I didn't know why, but whatever stuff that he does sent my heart thudding at an erratic rate.

I really wonder, how long more could I keep this up?

* * *

I was spending my Saturday hanging out with my new clique. It was such an impromptu shopping date. We were having lunch at, well, Larson's Hideout. Lisa had a sudden craving for crepes and wanted to eat here. I nearly shouted out "no" when she first suggested it but instead, I bit the insides of my cheeks to stop myself for being silly. I couldn't afford to let any of them know what Tessa had said to me because I didn't want to get them involved in this. I didn't want them to worry or anything.

Heck, was this the only cafe in the town? From where I was sitting, I could see Aiden serving food to the customers, his strong hands carrying the food expertly and steadily. His charming smile dazzled people, especially the girls. Thank goodness the girl who considered me as her enemy wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Hey girls, I need a new dress for the party. Something that stands out," Melinda said, jolting me from my thoughts. She leaned back and stretched her arms. I jerked my head towards her.

"What party?" I asked. This was the first time that I am hearing this. All three of them stared at me in surprise.

"You didn't hear? There's a party happening next Friday at Drake's house. You've to go with us!" Brynn exclaimed. Oh, Drake. I knew him because he was the current basketball captain in our school team. He was rich, tall and well-built with spike hair. So naturally, a lot of girls were drooling over him.

"Apparently, he's the eye candy of our little Miss Melinda right here. So she's not gonna miss this golden opportunity to get his attention during the party and do smooching stuff with him." Lisa winked at me. A ball of crushed napkin flew straight towards her face a second later but she ducked easily. Melinda pretended to pull a face at her and we burst out in laughter.

We saw Aiden approached our table with our food and drinks. We straightened up a little, but our giggles threatened to spill anytime soon. In the midst of placing our food on the table, Lisa accidentally let a giggle escaped from her lips. That caused us to erupt into loud giggles again, with Melinda blushing in embarrassment. Aiden just raised his eyebrows in confusion and gave us a cute smile.

"Ladies, mind sharing with me the joke?" He winked. Wait, was that wink directed at me? Must be my imagination.

"Well, you see," Lisa began saying. She jerked a thumbed in my direction suddenly while I took a sip of my drink. "Raine was sharing some of her embarrassing childhood stories, like how she accidentally kicked a boy in his face when she thought he was a pervert," she lied without batting an eyelid.

I choked on my drink. What nonsense was she saying!? Coughing and spluttering, I rasped out, "EXCUSE ME!?" I was horrified. Since when did I ever say that? And how could she said that in front of Aiden? My reputation would be tainted, I thought.

Finding it hilarious, Aiden started to laugh but he covered it up with a cough. His eyes turned a light shade of green with amusement and I found myself staring at him again.

"That's nice to know, Raine. Well then, enjoy your food, girls." He winked at me again, this time clearly directing at me. He turned and walked away to serve other customers. I let my jaw dropped in horror, mainly because I wasn't able to tell him that he was mistaken. I snapped my head back to Lisa and glared at her. She stuck out her tongue at me.

"Lisa!" I shrieked loudly. A couple of people from the other table turned and stared at our table. Oops. I lowered my head. "Why, oh why must you said something fake about me to him?" I hissed at her this time in a softer voice.

The three of them exchanged looks to one another before speaking at the same time;

"Did you think we were blind?"

"I saw those looks that he gave you, Raine."

"Aiden and Raine...you both will make a cute couple."

"Whoa whoa, guys. Hold up for a second." I held up both my hands to stop them from saying anything further. They sounded like birds chirping at the same time. They stopped whatever they were going to say and I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"You do know that Aiden has a girlfriend, right? So there's completely no way we are going to be together," I said in a matter-of-fact way. It dawned on me that some part of me was really disappointed and sad when those words came out of my mouth, because it was all too true. Aiden and I being together was never going to happen.

All three literally rolled their eyes at me. Oh my gosh, what was wrong them? They kept on doing the same stuff at the same time, which was freaking me out. Did they link their brains together or were they actually triplets?

Brynn shrugged. "It doesn't matter. It's just a matter of time before they break up. Those two don't exactly love each other. Well, it seemed that way to us." Seeing my confused look, she continued on.

"Tessa is very clingy. She goes after and sticks to Aiden because of his looks and reputation, obviously. And of course, she did a lot of bad stuff behind Aiden's back to drive people out of her way." Since we were on this topic, I figured that I asked them about what Tessa did.

And they did. They blurted out everything - how Tessa stopped a girl from confessing to Aiden by ganging up on her with her girlfriends, how Tessa dumped a cup of ice coffee on another girl when she saw her trying to flirt with him, and how Tessa tripped another girl multiple times because she heard her calling her bad names behind her back.

And the worse one was when Tessa kept making fun of a quiet girl, who apparently has a crush on Aiden, in front of everyone and ended up causing her to have depression and leave the school. She was such a ridiculous woman. My anger boiled up within me. I felt sorry for those girls and my hands were itching to slap Tessa on their behalf.

"Aiden doesn't deserve a girl like Tessa," Melinda said. "He deserves better. I mean, he's nice to everyone, the complete opposite of his girlfriend. And yet, he doesn't even know everything that is happening because Tessa would kill the person who dares to tell him anything."

"Or maybe he knows, because he doesn't seem to really treat her like a _real_ girlfriend," Brynn remarked. She stirred her drink. "If a guy likes someone badly, he would go crazily after her."

"Yup," Lisa added. She flipped her hair to the side dramatically and pointed at me. "Our dear Raine here definitely is the one that Aiden is waiting for. Look at the way he talks to you. I see sparks flying between you guys. So much looooove..." I stuffed French fries into Lisa's mouth to stop her from continuing further. She said something which I couldn't make out and then chewed on the fries. Brynn and Melinda laughed wildly at her. I shook my head at her smugly.

We dropped the subject. I stabbed the scrambled eggs and shoved it into my mouth. As I chewed slowly, I wondered to myself, should I be scared of Tessa after hearing those stuff about her? The answer for me was, strangely, no. Sure, she was scary but someone has to take the first step to stop and show her that she has to stop doing all those awful things. Otherwise, she would go on and on and bully other innocent girls.

After breakfast, we headed to Lily's Boutique. Melinda run to the dress section excitedly, her messy and pretty bun bobbing up and down. She started looking through the rows of dresses. Lisa followed closely behind her. Brynn went off to look for skirts and I headed straight to the tops section. I spotted a cool denim cropped jacket and decided to try it on. We spent quite a while in the shop because we wanted to try a few pieces on. I bought the denim jacket because I liked it a lot. Melinda bought a really chic black dress, Lisa bought a couple of tops and Brynn bought a plaid skirt.

We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping at the other shops and looking at shoes, bags and many other stuff. By the end of the day, I was dead beat and my legs were aching from all the walking. We parted after having our dinner, this time at another cafe thankfully. Lisa took Melinda's car while Brynn went to meet her boyfriend. I wanted to walk home since it was just a ten minutes walk from where I am standing back to my house.

I walked on the streets alone. There was only a couple of people walking around. I hummed a catchy tune to myself just to keep myself occupied. While walking for a few minutes, I noticed that something was amiss and stopped in my tracks.

Shit, I am lost. Of all times, my no-sense-of-direction syndrome decided to kick in now.

I stood alone, feeling at a loss. Maybe my aunt could come and pick me up or something. I fished into my pocket for my phone and searched for her number.

I heard something like a glass broke behind me. I froze in my place, trying to hear if there was something behind me. But there was nothing. I turned around slowly, but there was no one. No one! I turned back and faced forward, clutching the shopping bag to my chest tightly. My heart pounding louder and louder. I started taking a few tentative steps forward.

And then I heard it. There were the sound of footsteps behind. It was quite soft, but I heard it clearly. A person was following me. I stopped walking, and then the sound of footsteps stopped too.

I swore that my heart nearly stopped. I felt my blood and body turned icy cold in terror. The deafening silence was causing me to panic. I did the first thing that the voice in my mind was screaming about.

I broke into a run, running as fast as I could and never looking back. A million thoughts racing through my mind. Was this person a killer!? A kidnapper!? A rapist!? Stalker!? I didn't know where I was running to, but I kept running.

I recognized the place that I was right at this moment. I ran past Lily's Boutique in the dark but it was closed. Larson's Hideout should be nearby. I kept running.

Finally, I spotted Aiden. He was taking out the trash. "Aiden!" I cried out his name shakily and he heard me clearly. He turned quickly, looking quite taken aback to see me.

When I was close enough, I launched myself at him involuntarily. Into his arms.

I am safe.


	10. Chapter 10 Decision Made

**As requested by Archiepoke, this chapter will be Aiden's POV. And of course, I'm planning to do more of this in the future, so no worries. ;) I have also decided to write longer chapters like the previous one. Thanks a lot Archiepoke, I really appreciate your regular reviews. They motivate me a lot. :)**

**VampyWildCat, that's a brilliant idea, but I still can't decide whether to let Tessa witness it or not. Hahaha, I'm so conflicted. XD **

**To an anonymous person, I am grateful for your encouraging words. I'll try to proofread (if I have the time). I know that I have made errors here and there. And I would love it if you could leave a name. :)**

**I thank every single one of you who has read and reviewed this fanfiction. Yay! It has finally hit above 1000 views! Seeing a new review every single time really brightens my day and motivates me! I'll do my best!**

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Aiden's POV

It was such a tiring day helping out at my family's cafe. I was hoping to get a bit of fresh air so I offered to take out the trash. When I stood outside, it was so much quieter here as compared to the inside. I released a tired sigh and enjoyed the silence for a while.

Tessa wasn't hanging out here today. She was unhappy with me. We kinda got into a fight because I chided her when I heard from people that she actually spoke to Raine a few days. Only god knows whatever conversation they had, because she refused to tell me a single thing. Whatever that she had said to her probably wasn't a good thing because Raine actually avoided me like a cat avoiding water.

I was placing the bags of trash beside the rusty garbage bin when my sensitive hearing picked up the sound of someone running and huffing and puffing. There were other sounds too - cars honking, people's chatter - but this sound struck me as peculiar. Perhaps it was because I could sense the fear running off from that person despite the distance between us.

I focused and listened hard. I knew that whoever this person was, he or she was still quite a distance away and nowhere in sight, judging from how soft the sound was. But it got louder and louder as seconds passed by. That person was heading in this direction.

And then I heard it. A voice that I would never forget in my entire life.

Raine appeared on the sidewalk and she called my name loudly when she saw me. I could see her face vividly in the dark. Her face was pale and her voice was shaky. She was running as fast as she could as though her life was at stake.

She threw herself into my arms and I caught her instinctively. During the two seconds when she did that, my eyes caught something down the sidewalk, something that was following her. My nose smelled something sickly sweet that all werewolves hated.

A vampire. He was standing behind a lamp post like a silhouette, ruby red eyes staring at us and a smile playing on his lips. I wrapped my arms protectively around Raine instantly and glared at him. It was a warning.

Using his vampire speed, he disappeared in the next second. I prepared myself to fight back, but I could no longer sense any vampires around. Weird. He was gone, but I knew that he would be back soon. No vampires would leave his prey alive.

I bent down my head to take a good look at Raine. She was scared, her body was trembling in fear. She pressed her face into my chest, eyes squeezed shut. Her fingers were clutching at my shoulders. She didn't know that vampires existed and that one was actually following her. This was no good at all.

"Hey, it's alright. You're safe now," I spoke gently. I used my palm to rub her back slowly, hoping to quell her panic. It worked after a while because her breathing slowly returned to normal.

"Is that person gone?" She opened her eyes and then she turned her head to look around. When she saw that there was nobody, she let out a breath that she was holding. "Did you see him? I-I swear that there was something following me."

I hesitated, but nodded my head slightly. There was no point in lying to her. But I wasn't going to say anything about the vampire part to her. Hopefully, I would be able to get rid of him first before he could anything to her.

"O-oh my gosh", she stammered. She swiped her hair away from her sweaty forehead, her fingers quivering. She took a few deep breaths to steady and calm her nerves.

"I'm alright," she breathed. She looked up at me and gave me a small smile to assure me. I was skeptic, of course. She was just pretending to be strong and okay. She pulled away from me awkwardly, finally realizing that she was standing too close to me. But I pulled her towards me instead and held her tightly.

Did she think I was crazy enough to let her go when she was still terrified out of her wits?

It pained me to know that she was in danger right now. I wanted to protect her so badly by her side. The thought of her being so close to death just now nearly ripped my insides apart. This was it, I have to do something.

I took her hand and led her into the cafe. There wasn't many customers left, thankfully, and I knew that my dad wouldn't mind me leaving first. I guided her to an empty table and made her sit there.

"Stay here. I'll be right back," I said to Raine. She nodded her head quickly, her wide eyes never leaving mine. She let go of my hand slowly, albeit reluctantly. Knowing that she was still frightened, I promised her again that I would be back in a minute.

I hurried into the kitchen, taking off my apron and grabbing my car keys. "Hey, sis," I called out to her. My older sister, Cami, followed me into the kitchen, abandoning her place at the cashier counter. There were no customers queuing anyway. She looked back in the direction of Raine and turned her head to stare at me, shooting me a curious look.

"I'm going off first," I told her with a I-will-explain-it-to-you-later look. She nodded thoughtfully. "Drive safely, little brother." She punched my shoulder lightly when I walked past her and took a bottle of water from the shelf. I smiled back.

I went back to the table and found Raine clenching and unclenching her fingers nervously. Her eyes flitted from her hands to outside the glass windows, and back to her hands again.

"Hey."

She looked up at the sound of my voice. I handed her the bottle and she accepted it gratefully. She unscrewed the bottle cap and chugged the water down. When she was done, I jiggled my car fingers using my hand. The sound caught her attention and she looked up.

"Come on, I'll drive you home." Raine started to open her mouth to protest but I held up an index finger to stop her. I wasn't going to listen to her stubborn words. "No arguments. Let's go." I turned on my heels and walked straight to the door. I smiled slightly when I heard her footsteps following behind me closely.

I held the door open for her and we stepped outside. She went on guard immediately, her eyes looking around nervously. I placed an arm around her shoulder, hoping to ease her fear. There was nothing that could hurt her since I was around. She literally jumped when I did that and her big blue eyes stared at me in shock. I urged her forward gently and we made our way to the car.

We got into the car and I started the engine. I tossed some stuff that were sitting on the dashboard to the backseat before I started driving. Meanwhile, Raine was staring at me and watching every single thing that I was doing. I remained quiet because my mind was thinking about how awesomely close we were in this tiny space.

She broke the silence first. "Thanks a lot for today," she said gratefully. There was a mix of emotions displayed on her face - relief, fear and surprise. "And sorry for all the trouble," she added quietly. She was much calmer then she was a while ago.

"Not at all, don't worry about that. I know that this is a stupid question but I'm still gonna ask, are you feeling better?" I asked. I turned my head to look at her while keeping my hands on the wheel. She chewed on her lips and glanced out of the window. The trees outside zoomed past us in a blurry motion.

"Yeah, I'm fine. At least for now," she answered honestly. "I wonder who was following me..." She let her voice trailed off, clearly because she didn't want to think any further. I gritted my teeth.

That darn vampire... Just wait until I get my hands on him...

Raine shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Uh oh, time to change the topic. "Let's talk about something else." I used a more cheerful tone to lighten the mood. "How's school for you?" I questioned.

"Oh, it's actually quite okay. Brynn, Lisa and Melinda are such great friends. Everybody else is nice too." She flashed me a smile. It was a _real _smile ever since she was shaken up by the vampire.

"But urgh, I hate Physics. I don't understand a single thing." She pulled a face. I laughed and shook my head. "I can teach you, if you want," I told her, smirking slightly. She raised an innocent eyebrow at me, a smile threatening to break out anytime.

"Oh, I would totally love to do that, Einstein. Do enlighten me on the mysteries of Physics." Raine teased and poked my arm. I chuckled, a little stunned because she actually dared to touch me despite knowing about my hotter-than-normal skin.

I was glad that she seemed to be back to her usual self. But...

"What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes were filled with concern. "You are frowning. Did I do anything wrong?" Her eyebrows knitted in confusion.

I shook my head. "Nope, it's me. I know that Tessa spoke to you recently-" She swiveled her head around with a startled look. "-and I'm really sorry if she said anything mean to you." Guilt gnawed at me because I knew the reason why Tessa had approached Raine in the first place.

"It's okay." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not intending to let her words get to me." She smiled at me just to show that she meant what she said.

And then her face turned serious. "I'm really sorry for avoiding you. I mean, I didn't want anybody's relationship to break up because of me." Her words spilled out with honesty.

"But YOU. You kept on disturbing me, especially during Physics." She threw a glare in my direction. "Were you trying to torture me!? Gosh, I swear the teacher kept staring at me and giving me weird looks."

My laughter slipped out before I even realized. She turned and shot me a what-is-so-funny look. I laughed even harder at that. "If only...you could...see your expressions in class," I gasped out in between my laughter. She swatted my arm to hide her embarrassment. She crossed her arms and huffed, but I could tell she wasn't really angry with me. My laughter died after a while.

"You're really nice, Raine," I spoke truthfully. I wasn't talking about the part where she faked an act of being angry with me. I was referring to how thoughtful she was when she said she didn't want to be the third party between Tessa and me. She probably understood what I was saying because she remained quiet.

Her house came into view and I stopped the car at the driveway. It was already pretty dark. However, Raine has no intention of stepping out yet. She remained in her seat, looking as though she wanted to say something to me. I waited patiently, wanting to give her some time to think.

After a few minutes, she spoke out loud. "Are you always so nice to girls?" She blurted out this question. It was like she couldn't hide her curiosity anymore.

I pondered for a while. "Well, not really," I said thoughtfully. "But there are exceptions." I winked and she blushed.

"Oh. Err..." She stammered with her words awkwardly, her cheeks were still pink. "I-I gotta go, my aunt must be wondering where I'm." She fumbled with her seat belt. I leaned forward towards her to reach for the handle of the car door at her side.

Her body froze and we became quite aware of our distance. I paused and held my breath, my fingers still touching the car handle. From this position, my eyes were staring deep into those beautiful ocean blue eyes of hers. Her intoxicating scent was driving me crazy again. A couple strands of her velvety hair drooped around her cheeks. Her beauty took my breath away.

She was simply the most beautiful person I have ever seen.

My body took control of me and I leaned in closer towards her. She did the same thing too. There was this irresistible force pulling us together and closing the distance between us. She started to close her eyes when our lips were a mere inch away from each other.

But suddenly, her eyes widened in shock and her body stiffened. She leaned away from me instantly. I was flabbergasted when she did that.

"We...we can't," she choked out. She gripped her shopping bag tightly and realization finally hit me. I looked away from her and opened the car door.

"Thanks a lot, Aiden. I'll see you on Monday." She gave me an apologetic look before climbing out of the car. When she stood outside, she turned to look at me once more. I plastered a smile on my face, hoping that it would convince her to go into the house. She smiled back at me but her eyes were still filled with concern.

Once she went inside, I leaned my head on the wheel, a million thoughts running through my mind.

What have I done? How dumb could I be?

But there was a two things that I was completely certain of.

One, I couldn't stay with Tessa any longer.

And two...

I love Raine to the moon and back.


	11. Chapter 11 Preparing for the Party

**I'm so sorry for not updating for weeks! D: I was occupied with so many stuff recently (I was updating my other fanfiction too. Hehehe...). My long holiday is coming soon, right after next week's exams. I can update lots and lots during that time. **

**Okay, enough ranting from me. I have already PM those who asked me questions. Thank you guys so much for asking and reviewing. I am so happy that I am flying over the moon. :)**

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Aiden's POV

I stayed outside Raine's house, watching guard in my werewolf form. The night darkness kept me hidden well among the trees. Thank god the back of her house was facing the dense forest, it made things a lot easier for me. But it made things a lot easier for _him_ too. My car was parked somewhere close by and I made sure that Raine wouldn't be able to see it.

I wasn't going to let her out of my sight when the vampire was still walking around Forks alive. Sleep meant nothing to me at this point of time.

I carefully pondered over the whole entire situation while watching the house closely. That vampire, who was stalking Raine a few hours ago, truly puzzled me. I simply could not understand what he was doing.

He could have killed her straight away without making any noise. Vampires have strong agility, great speed and strength. No humans could fight back against them. But why? Why was he holding back and letting her be aware of his presence? I bet he has a hidden motive. But what was it? I thought hard about it. Was all this merely a game to him?

A slight breeze ruffled my fur. There was a rustling sound of trees and a loud thumping sound to my right. My body straightened up and my sharp senses immediately told me who it was.

_Seth._ I greeted him using my mind. I received his response instantly.

_Hey, Aiden._

A large sandy colored wolf with brown eyes emerged from the trees and his oversized paws landed on the forest ground lightly that was soft to the human ears but loud to mine.

Seth was a great friend of Jacob's and we all belonged to the same pack. Jacob was twenty one years old, while Seth was two years younger than him. In the past, all the werewolves used to belong to one big pack, but ever since the Volturi came to Forks to hunt down Jacob's old flame, Bella, our pack broke up into two packs because there were disputes among them. I wasn't there when it all happened because I was only fourteen and hadn't phased into a wolf yet, but my dad told me all about it.

I felt really bad for Jacob when I heard the one that he loved actually picked the Cullen vampire instead. It was the worst pain anyone could face. But now he has finally found someone precious to love and protect her. He has imprinted on Renesmee, a half-human, half-vampire hybrid.

The funny thing was, Renesmee was Bella's daughter. Complicated, yeah? But let's not go into the details. It would take me forever to finish the story. I was already content knowing that Jacob was doing fine.

_Did you manage to find him?_ I asked Seth.

He shook his furry head. _I trailed his scent and it seems like he went out of Forks. _Confusion flashed in his eyes.

_He's a funny one. _My head turned back to look at Raine's house, up the small white-paned window on the second floor where I knew she was sleeping in her room. I'm sure that the vampire would be coming back for her. I swore to myself that I would keep him away from her.

_Look, I gotta go tell Leah and round up the rest of the pack. We'll keep watch around Forks. _Seth moved towards and bumped me with his shoulder. _Don't worry, Aiden. We'll keep her safe for you. Jacob isn't back yet, but we can definitely manage one puny vampire by ourselves. _

Yeah, he was right about that. _Thanks a lot, Seth._ I bumped back into his shoulder. _A__nd_ _sorry for making you come all the way here._

He rolled his eyes. _No biggie._ After giving me one last look of assurance, he turned and left, running into the depths of the forest. I went back to look at the house.

I was determined to get my hands on the vampire first, before he gets to Raine.

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Raine's POV

_I ran in the darkness, my heart thudding fast and hard against my chest. My footsteps echoed in the basment and the foul smell sent a wave of nausea over me. I didn't know where I was heading to. However, I did know one thing; the voice in my mind was screaming four words at me repeatedly._

_GET AWAY FROM HIM._

_Unable to see where I was going, I smacked into a pillar suddenly. I nearly fell backwards as a flash of pain shot through my head. My hands flew up to steady my head and I stopped for a second to get back to my senses._

_Dammit, where was the stairs? _

_Cursing under my breath, I moved around the pillar and started running straight ahead. Ignoring the throbbing pain from my head, I stretched my hands out, just in case I rammed myself into something else again._

_"See? You can run, but you can't hide from me." _

_A chilling voice from behind sent me running even faster like lightning. Please no, I prayed in my mind._

_I DON'T WANT TO DIE HERE!_

__I spotted a dim green light at the far end of the basement. It looked very much like an exit sign from wherever I was. I headed straight for it since it was my only hope and chance, before _that man_ caught up with me.__

__When I was closer, there was a stairs leading up to an exit door. YESSS! I shouted in my head. Adrenaline shot through my body as I thought that I was a step closer to safety.__

__I was halfway up the stairs when I felt a hand clasped around my ankle and pulled me back downwards. I fell down before I could even grab the handrails. A million thoughts flooded my mind as I panicked and started shrieking in terror.__

__No... No... NO!__

"NO! LET GO OF ME!"

I shot up in my bed, breathing heavily through my nose. My forehead and pajamas were soaked in my sweat. I looked around frantically to see where I was. Realizing that I was in my room, I relaxed a little.

Thank goodness, it was all just a dream...

But my hands and body were both still shaking. I couldn't believe that my past was coming back to haunt me again. These dreams...they were making me reliving the horrible memories. It must be have been triggered after that whole stalking thing by an unknown person.

This situation gave me a sense of deja vu since it was quite similar to what happened in the past. But of course, it must be a completetly different person this time.

I stepped out of my bed, knowing that I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep anyway. I switched on the lights and moved towards my window to draw the curtains. I couldn't stand looking at the darkness outside.

I was surprise that my aunt or uncle didn't walk into my room to check on me. I didn't hear my cousins crying either. I sighed in relief, grateful that my screams didn't wake the whole house up. It was probably partly because my bedroom door was closed. Frankly, I didn't want to tell anyone about my dreams. My mom would panick if she hears about this.

I dared myself to look out of the window and glanced up at the night sky. I couldn't see the moon at all. Maybe it was hiding behind the clouds. My hands reached for the curtains and I started to draw it.

A glimpse of movement among the trees caught my attention. I stopped whatever I was doing and squinted my eyes. Seconds passed but I could no longer see whatever that I had just saw. Were my eyes playing tricks on me?

It couldn't be that stalker right? I drew the curtains swiftly as my brain went into panic mode. I climbed back into my bed and hid myself under the safety of my covers.

_Oh gosh, what if he breaks into the house? _

Ridiculous thoughts went through my mind at once but after a while, I calmed myself down. I was actually kind of overreacting over here. There was no way that stalker would have followed me all the way back to my house since Aiden accompanied me all the way home.

Aiden... I have this itching feeling to call him just to hear his comforting voice. But sadly, I didn't have his number. And besides, I shouldn't depend too much on him either. Tessa's words kept replaying in my mind over and over again.

I lay in my bed, restless, until morning came and it was finally time for me to get out of my bed. There wasn't much to do on a Sunday and I stayed in my room all day - finishing up on assignments, staring at the walls, hanging around the house and watching television.

Even my bubbly cousins, who tried to convince me to play with them, weren't able to shake off my feeling of anxiety and paranoia.

The dreams continued to haunt me for the next few nights. My horrible eyebags reappeared once again and I'm thinking that I have really turned into a real-life walking zombie. I was zoning out in classes and I jumped at every single person who tapped me on the shoulder. Sometimes, I would catch my friends exchanging worried looks among themselves when they thought I wasn't looking.

I wasn't my own self at all, and I hated being like this. I didn't know why, but I kept having this strange sense of foreboding that something bad was going to happen soon.

"Raine... Hey Raine!" Lisa threw a pillow straight in my face to get me back to Earth. With a loud "oof", I rolled my eyes and glared at her. The pillow dropped to the floor and I snatched it back up and hugged it to my chest. I was intending to throw it back in her face when she wasn't looking.

Lisa pulled a face at me. "I've been calling your name for the past five minutes," she complained, slightly irritated. "Stop spacing out and start dressing up, girl."

Oh yeah, I was supposed to be putting on a dress and makeup for the party tonight at Drake's house. I wasn't in a mood for all this partying and fun, but I couldn't possibly back out after promising my dear friends.

"Hey, which one do you think looks better on me?" Lisa held out two dresses in front of her - a strapless black bodycon dress and a sparkling blue mini dress. I pointed to the blue one, it would definitely look good on her. With a satisfied look, she muttered happily, "I thought so too." She tossed the black dress on the bed and turned back to the full-length mirror.

I dragged myself reluctantly over to the mountain pile of clothes on the bed and started looking for something that would suit me. Brynn said we could select any of her clothes but I didn't expect her wardrobe to be three times bigger than mine.

Guess I have to go shopping soon.

Brynn walked through the bedroom door with her arms full of makeup products. Melinda followed closely behind her, eating salad from a bowl. I gaped at Brynn as she dumped all the stuff on the dressing table.

"Whoa, that's a lot , Brynn," I exclaimed. I didn't own much makeup products myself, just a couple that I rarely used. I felt a little (a lot) boyish right now.

She turned and gave me a teasing smirk. "I snuck it out from my mom's room. There's mine too. You guys can just use it if you want."

"You're such a sweetie, Brynn!" Lisa squealed in delight and twirled around the room. Brynn laughed at her as she picked up an eyeshadow palette. Melinda set her bowl down on a table and starting looking through the clothes.

"Here." She handed me a cherry red flare dress. She noticed that I was the only one who hasn't decided on a dress. I took it from her and examined it carefully.

Lisa snorted at me. "Stop giving that weird look. You're gonna look fabulous in that dress." I wrinkled my nose, doubting her words. Melinda and Brynn agreed with her and they all started to pester me to change. I put up my hands in mock surrender.

"Okay, okay. I'll go change. You guys better change too," I said. I still doubted that I would look good in a dress.

We closed and locked the bedroom door. All four of us turned away from each other while holding our dresses in our hands. "When all of us are done changing, we'll turn together, alright?" Brynn said. The rest of us muttered an "okay" back to her. I could tell they were all excited. To be honest, I was a little excited too. I couldn't wait to see how fantastic they would all look like.

"Time to change, girls."

I pulled my top over my head and removed my jeans. I could hear the rest were doing the exact same thing. I felt the smooth fabric of the dress between my fingers. It was really gorgeous and I didn't wanna wreck its beauty by my boyish figure. I couldn't believe how much I'm regretting right now for not eating the right food like what Melinda did a while ago.

Oh well, here goes nothing.

I put on the dress carefully, afraid that I might torn it or something. When I was done, Lisa spoke out loudly. "Are you girls ready?" she asked eagerly. We replied back "yes".

"Okay, on the count of three. One...two...THREE!"

We spun around at the same time and my jaw dropped at the sight of them. They were all looking extremely gorgeous! Melinda was wearing a one-strap shimmering metallic dress and Brynn... Wow, she looked like a model that has just walked out from a _Cosmo_ magazine. She was wearing a stunning backless dress that I wouldn't imagine myself wearing that. And of course, Lisa was just beautiful in that blue dress like what I expected.

As for me, well, I have no idea how I looked like...

They all stared at me silently for a couple of seconds, examining me from head to toe, before launching into their high-pitched screams. I covered my ears immediately because I was afraid that my eyedrums would explode.

"Raine! OH MY GOD, RAINE!"

They couldn't stop squealing and squealing as they ran towards me. 'What? What's wrong? Do I look weird-" I asked them but they dragged me towards the mirror. I stood before the mirror and looked at my appearance.

My dress fitted around my curves perfectly. In fact, I looked very, very different and lady-like. It was as though the dress was made perfect for me. I stared open-mouthed into the mirror in shock.

...Was that really ME?


End file.
